Online Journal Entry 4

Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see. ~C. S. Lewis

Ah, the Short Story. Don't you just love them?!! So far, we've read three of them in class. Have you noticed anything yet? Yeah, you rarely finish a short story and think, "Well, that was a nice little story" (unless it's a children's book). Short stories are written for a purpose; they contain all of the elements of traditional longer fiction, but (being more limited in time and space) must have every element work together concisely to produce a single effect. Sometimes, it is to entertain you. Sometimes, it is to surprise or horrify you. But in any of those cases, short stories almost always aim to teach you something about life, about human nature, and about you--through your reactions to them. Choose any of the stories we've read so far and tell me: What is the message the author is trying to tell you? Which story surprised you the most? After you know what happens in the end, can you go back through and see the clues in the reading that you may have overlooked the first time? Do you have a favorite short story or is there one that sticks with you, whether you liked it or not? Then that author has fulfilled his purpose: he has written something that lives on in you! Wait till you read what's coming in the next couple of weeks!! Oh, the fun we will have! :)

Online Journal Entry #3

"Who is wise? He that learns from every One.
Who is powerful? He that governs his Passions.
Who is rich? He that is Content.
Who is that? Nobody." --Benjamin Franklin
Journal entries do not have to be controversial to have purpose. Their purpose is to inspire you to think and incite written expression. Sometimes writing about something can actually help you understand how you feel about it.

Now, consider the quotation above by Benjamin Franklin. Do you agree with what he says? Do you think it's meaning has changed any over the last two hundred years? What does being wise, powerful, and rich mean to you? Post a reply (enter your ID as your email address and the password you set and it will post under your display name or sign in at blogger.com and then come to this blogsite) and check back in a couple of days to make your entry has been posted!! No post, no grade. Now, write, write, WRITE! :)

Online Journal Entry #2

“The four cornerstones of character on which the structure of this nation was built are: Initiative, Imagination, Individuality and Independence.” ~Edward Vernon Rickenbacker
Ah, IdentiKits ... aren't they fun?! All that focus on YOU: What YOU think, how YOU feel, what things best represent YOU, and how YOU express YOURSELF! What would YOU think if I said we were going to share them with the class? Excited? Nervous? Remember, we are a Classroom Community!! We are here to share with each other, support each other, encourage each other, and celebrate with each other!! Hmm, did I say celebrate? How did communities usually celebrate again? ;) So, once again, for this week, tell me: How do you feel with all this focus on YOU? Empowered? Uncomfortable? Terrified? Maybe we can use this experience of showing off our imaginations and individuality to build some of that initiative and independence! What do you think?!
“Every person is the creation of himself, the image of his own thinking and believing. As individuals think and believe, so they are.” ~Claude M. Bristol